Motor Traders Association warns public of used electric vehicles impact

Monday, 10 October 2022 00:41 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Ceylon Motor Traders Association (CMTA) has raised serious concerns about the importation of used electric vehicles to the country.

In a statement it said to minimise the negative impact to the consumer, environment, society, and the economy, it is imperative that the country imports EVs which are directly shipped by the manufacturer with the recommendation for this tropical climate.

“EVs built for colder climates may not be suitable for tropical regions as they might not have the required HV battery cooling systems,” CTMA said.

It claimed that EVs purchased through importers who are not the agents for the respective brand, might not come with a proper warranty cover to protect the consumer. “Used EVs that are shipped over to Sri Lanka may have HV batteries which could have damages that are not visible externally. “Manufacturers’ warranties are a minimum of five years for passenger cars and three years for two-wheelers, in order to protect the consumer’s interest,” CTMA said.

Another one of the CMTA’s biggest concerns is the disposal of High Voltage (HV) batteries, as it can be extremely hazardous to both the environment and ground water systems, if not disposed of properly. The CMTA recommends that EV importers should be signed up with a battery recycling/ re-exporting company. Due to the impact that improper disposing of HV batteries and other components may cause, it is also important to establish a legal framework to prosecute people who do so.

CTMA stressed that the landed cost of an HV battery could vary from Rs. 5 million upwards for most EVs, or approximately 50% of the CIF value of the vehicle. It is therefore imperative that any EVs imported into the country must be imported within six months of manufacture, as it would negate the negative impacts HV batteries might have.

CMTA Chairman Charaka Perera said: “It is imperative that we encourage the importation of Brand New EVs directly from the manufacturer as opposed to used ones. Vehicle electrification will bode very well for Sri Lanka, and we must ensure that the necessary steps are taken to ensure these vehicles are imported properly and that they do not pose environmental or economic threat to the country.”

The CMTA is the only association in the country that has access to global manufacturers of EVs and represents them in Sri Lanka and urges the public to educate themselves of all aspects prior to purchasing an EV. Such awareness will enable them from facing issues which were faced by consumers who bought certain EV models during the heavy influx of EVs in 2014.